AgDay Daily Recap -Jan. 5, 2016

OPENING HEADLINES:
COMING UP TODAY ON AGDAY FLOODING PUSHES SOUTHWARD ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI.
DAIRIES DIG OUT--HEAR THE STORY OF HOW THIS NEW MEXICO DAIRY SURVIVED A MAMMOTH BLIZZARD.
IN AGRIBUSINESS... CHECKING ON CHINA... ONE THING IS FOR SURE, THE STOCK SITUATION IS BAD. THE SIX YEAR SHEAR--THIS SHEEP GETS TRIM YEARS IN THE MAKING.
AND COLD CEREAL IS A HOT TREND IN DINING!
FLOODING HITS THE MIDWEST:
GOOD MORNING I'M CLINTON GRIFFITHS.
CLEAN UP AND RECOVERY IS UNDERWAY FOR SOME MIDWEST FAMILIES HIT WITH EXTENSIVE FLOODING OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS.
WHILE COMMUNITIES FARTHER SOUTH ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BRACE FOR HIGH WATER.
"IT'S RISING...ALL DAY LONG. AND WHEN WE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING IT'S LIKE SIX MORE INCHES.">
MORE THAN 30 PEOPLE HAVE NOW DIED IN FOUR STATES--FOLLOWING MASSIVE RAIN STORMS THAT DUMPED 6 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN.
SOUTHERN STATES ARE NOW ISSUING EMERGENCY'S AS THE WATER FLOWS SOUTH. MEANWHILE, ILLINOIS GOVERNOR TOURED HOMES IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS SUNDAY.
OFFICIALS THERE ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON LEVEES ALONG ILLINOIS RIVER, CONCERNED THEY COULD BREACH DUE TO HIGH WATER.
RAUNER SAYS FLOODING AT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND THAT
THAT COLDER WATER BEHAVES DIFFERENTLY FROM FLOODWATERS IN WARMER
"IF THE LEVEES ARE BREACHED IN THOSE LOW-LYING SPOTS, THAT'S WHERE THE WATER IS GOING TO FLOW
IMMEDIATELY AND VERY QUICKLY. AND THIS WATER CAN MOVE FAST. THIS TIME OF YEAR IT'S NOT NORMAL
TO HAVE FLOODS, AND THE WATER BEHAVES DIFFERENTLY. THE GROUND'S HARDER. IT'S A LITTLE FIRMER. AND
WE'VE HAD SO MUCH RAIN ALL YEAR THAT ONCE THE WATER MOVES SOMEWHERE IT MOVES FAST."
"IF WE WERE TO HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OR A FAILURE AT ANY PORTION OF THE RIVER, THE WATER IS
GOING TO COME IN, AND IT'S GOING TO COME IN QUICKLY. AND THIS ISN'T YOUR SWIMMING POOL WATER.
THIS IS FRIGID, ICE CHILLED WATER. THIS WATER IS CLOSE TO 32 DEGREES, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO SWIM OUT OF THIS."
IT WASN'T RAIN BUT HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WINDS --FROM THAT SAME STORM
THAT FROZE THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. EARLY ESTIMATES PUT CATTLE LOSSES IN NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO AS HIGH AS 20-THOUSAND HEAD AND 40-THOUSAND IN TEXAS.
REPORTER ERICA IRLBECK TRAVELED THOSE REGIONS OVER THE WEEKEND AND FOUND DESPITE WARNINGS AND PREPARATIONS, THE STORM WAS OVERWHELMING.
DAIRY TODAY REPORT:
IT'S OUR DAIRY TODAY REPORT.
THE WIND HOWLED, AND SNOW AND ICE PELTED THE HIGH PLAINS FOR MORE THAN 36 HOURS.
DAIRY PRODUCERS BEGAN PREPARING FOR THE STORM DAYS IN ADVANCE BY CLEANING PENS BUILDING WIND BREAKS, AND ADDING BEDDING TO CALF HUTCHES.
MILK PRODUCTION MAY NOT RECOVER FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SOME DAIRIES WERE UNABLE TO MILK FOR UP TO 12 TO 36 HOURS BECAUSE OF POWER LOSS OR SNOW DRIFTS BLOCKING THE BARNS. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY EXPECTS TO SEE HEALTH ISSUES SUCH AS FROST BITE, PNEUMONIA, AND OTHER ILLNESSES IN THE DAYS, WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD.
THERE ARE ABOUT 200 DAIRIES IN WEST TEXAS AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO. THE AREA PRODUCES ALMOST 10 PERCENT OF THE NATION'S MILK.
SPEAKING OF SNOW, CALIFORNINA'S DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES SAYS A LATE DECEMBER SNOWPACK MEASUREMENT CAME IN AT 108 PERCENT OF AVERAGE. THAT'S GOOD NEWS FOLLOWING 4 YEARS OF DROUGHT IN THE GOLDEN STATE.
HOWEVER, STATE OFFICIALS CAUTIONED EARLY SEASON SNOWPACK MEASUREMENTS CAN BE DECEIVING, NOTING THAT LAST YEAR'S DECEMBER SNOWPACK WAS AT 50 PERCENT OF AVERAGE.
BUT BY APRIL WAS DOWN TO FIVE PERCENT.
CROPWATCH:
TODAY'S CROPWATCH NOT ONLY SHOWS US SOME STANDING CROPS IN THE MIDWEST, BUT ALSO IN ARGENTINA.
MIKE HOFFMAN HAS AN UPDATE. MIKE.
LET'S START OFF CROPWATCH IN NORTHWEST MISSOURI.
ZACH LYNCH POSTED THIS PICTURE TO TWITTER -IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT OR NOTOF UNHARVESTED SOYBEANS STILL LEFT IN THE STATE! NOW MISSOURI IS STILL FEELING THE IMPACTS OF SEVERE FLOODING FROM LAST WEEK.
NOW LET'S TRAVEL TO WHERE STANDING CROPS ARE MORE COMMON FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR-NEAR PERGAMINO, ARGENTINA.
SOME SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY AG STUDENTS MADE THE TRIP FOR A CLASS. HERE'S A PICTURE THEY SENT US OF DOUBLE-CROP CORN. THE OWNER THEY VISITED SAYS HE HAD A LATE START WITH THIS ROTATION SINCE THE REGION
RECEIVED A LOT OF RAIN IN SEPTEMBER. AS A RESULT, THE CROP IS BEHIND IN MATURITY. HERE'S ANOTHER PHOTO OF CANARY GRASS FROM THE STUDENTS. THIS FIELD WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING HARVESTED.
THE STUDENTS SAY THE WEATHER IS HUMID, IN THE MID-TO UPPER 80S.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS A HEAVY RAIN STORM LATE LAST WEEK. AND TAKING A LOOK AT THE WEATHER MAP BACK HERE IN THE STATES YOU CAN SEE A STORM SYSTEM MOVING OFF THE EAST COAST AND YET ANOTHER ONE COMING INTO THE WEST COAST THERE'S A STRING OF THEM COMING ACROSS THE PACIFIC WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR WEATHER COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES.
TEASE:
A ROUGH START TO THE STOCK MARKET'S YEAR. WE'LL LOOK AT MARKETS AND TALK WITH ANDY SHISSLER ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT FROM CHINA IN THE YEAR AHEAD.
YOU MAY HAVE OFFERED A POTATO BAR OR A TACO BAR AT YOUR HOME, BUT WHAT ABOUT A CEREAL BAR?
LATER WE'LL SHARE SOME COMBINATIONS YOU MAY NEVER HAVE IMAGINED.
RECEIVE A FREE TIRAL OF THE DAILY MARKET LETTER AND GAIN KNWLEDGE ABOUT CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS FROM THE PROFESSIONALS AT BOWER TRADING. VIEW THE MARKETS LIKE NEVER BEFORE. GO TO BOWERTRADING-DOT-COM.
CME:
LETS SEE HOW COMMODITIES FAIRED FROM THE FLOOR OF THE CME IN CHICAGO. GRAIN MARKETS ARE LOWER AND HAVE BEEN TRADING LOWER MOST OF THE DAY. MOST OF THE SELLING CAME IN THE FIRST FEW HOURS OF THE TRADE. THE LAST HALF OF THE SESSION HAS BEEN NOTICEABLY QUIETER. BUT WITHOUT ANY REAL BUY INTEREST STARTING TO SHOW. MIXED DAY FOR THE CATTLE AND THE HOG MARKETS. MOSTLY TRADING LOWER THROUGHOUT THE DAY BUT DEFINITELY WITH A MIXED TONE.SHARPLY LOWER IN THE EARLY TRADING IN RESPONSE WELL TO OUTSIDE MKTS PRINCIPALLY. BAD ECONOMIC DATA FROM CHINA FOR ONE. AND A STRONGER DOLLAR AND DOLLAR REALLY TRADING ON BOTH SIDES IN THE SHARPLY WEAKER STOCK MARKET HERE IN THE U.S. PROVIDING REASONS TO SELL.
AGRIBUSINESS:
JOINING US HERE AT THE AGRIBUSINESS DESK WE HAVE ANDY SHISSLER, S&W TRADING. ANDY, LET'S TALK ABOUT A RECENT TRIP YOU MADE OVER TO CHINA.
YOU SAID YOU GOT SOME PRETTY GOOD PERSPECTIVE ON THE ECONOMIC SITUATION AND WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE.> YEAH, WE HEARD ONE OF THE HEAD ECONOMIC GUYS AT BEIJING UNIVERSITY GIVE A SPEECH AND IT WAS PRETTY INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST.> PRETTY HONEST TO SAY THE LEAST?> WELL, A LITTLE BIT MORE HONEST THAN I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT. A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT WAS AG POLICY CHANGE. THEY HAVE GOT A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE PRICE QUOTA PROGRAM AND IT'S CAUSED CORRUPTION IN INDUSTRY, WHICH ISN'T SURPRISING IT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE, BUT IT HAS KIND OF MESSED UP THEIR GOVERNMENT STOCKS AND IN PARTICULAR IT MESSED UP THE RICE AND SO THEY ARE BUYING A LOT OF RICE OUT OF SOUTHEAST ASIA INSTEAD OF WHERE THEY ARE GROWING IT AND YOU HAVE GOT RICE MOVING INTO CHANNELS WHERE IT DOESN'T REALLY BELONG AND IT IS NOT BEING USED AND IT IS PRICED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT CAN'T BE USED. AND SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF IT CAME FROM, THEY HAVE A SIMILAR SITUATION IN CORN, IT'S WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SEE--AND THEY ARE PRETTY ADAMANT ABOUT DOING A THREE YEAR PROGRAM, WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO DROP ALL THIS QUOTA SITUATION STUFF AND THEY ARE GOING TO TRY TO TOTALLY REVOLUTIONIZE AGRICULTUREAND SO THEY ARE GOING TO MOVE TO WHERE CAN HAVE BIGGER FARMS TO RENT AND THEY ARE GOING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO SUBSIDIZE FARMERS TO GET THE OLDER GENERATION OFF THEIR FARMS, LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY THAT KIND OF THING, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS GOING AROUND--I'M NOT SURE4 WHICH WILL STICK.

NATIONAL WEATHER:
WELCOME BACK TO AGDAY HERE WITH METEOROLOGIST MIKE HOFFMAN. MIKE LOOKING AT THE MAP IT LOOKS LIKE THE WEST COAST GETTING HIT AGAIN. YEAH IT'S GREAT NEWS. THIS IS THE PATTERN WE WERE HOPING TO GET INTO AT LEAST FOR A CHUNK OF THIS WINTER. MULTIPLE STORM SYSTEMS COMING ACROSS THE PACIFIC.
TEASE:
PLENTY MORE AHEAD ON THIS EDITION OF AGDAY INCLUDING A LOOK AT THIS YEARS IMPRESSIVE APPLE PRODUCTION. PLUS SHEEP-SHEARING SIX YEARS PAST DUE.
YOU'VE HEARD OF SALAD BARS, PASTA BARS AND SUSHI BARS -BUT THE LATEST CRAZE IS CEREAL BARS! COLD CEREAL IS A HOT ITEM -LATER ON AGDAY.
APPLES:
IN NEWS FROM OUR BRAND NEW REPORTING PARTNERS AT "THE PACKER"...IT APPEARS THE U-S APPLE INDUSTRY HAS ANOTHER LARGE CROP OF FRUIT TO MARKET THIS YEAR. THE PACKER-DOT-COM SAYS USDA IS ESTIMATING 242-MILLION BUSHELS. THE 2014 CROP WAS 272-MILLION BUSHELS, JUST SHY OF THE RECORD. THAT BIG SUPPLY PUT DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON PRICES. ONE GROWER IN NEW YORK TOLD THE PACKER THAT PRICES IN DECEMBER WERE "NOT VERY GOOD."
THE WASHINGTON APPLE CROP IS THE THIRD LARGEST ON RECORD ACCORDING
TO THE STATE APPLE COMMISSION.
SHEEP FOUND:
A WANDERING SHEEP -LOST FOR SIX YEARS IN THE AUSTRALIAN WILDERNESS IS NOW BACK BEHIND A FENCE AND RECEIVED ITS FIRST SHEARING IN YEARS.
NAMED SHEILA, THE SHEEP HAD BEEN LOST IN DENSE FOREST NEAR HOBART IN THE TASMANIA STATE SINCE 2010. IT WAS RESCUED BY LOCAL MAN WHO FOUND IT ON THE SIDE OF A ROAD.
THE WOOL WEIGHED AT JUST OVER 21 KILOGRAMS -OR ABOUT 46 POUNDS. WHILE IMPRESSIVE THAT AMOUNT IS WELL SHORT OF THE AUSTRALIAN FLEECE RECORD WHICH WAS NEARLY TWICE THAT AMOUNT.TEASE:
STILL TO COME -IT'S NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST ANY MORE. WE'LL SHOW YOU WHY COLD CEREAL IS A HOT TREND -AND SHARE SOME COMBINATIONS YOU MAY NEVER HAVE IMAGINED. THAT'S NEXT.IN THE COUNTRY:
WE ALL SIT DOWN TO EAT A BOWL OF CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT CEREAL SEEMS TO BE ON THE MENU MORE THAN EVER BEFORE. ANY TIME, DAY OR NIGHT, COLD CEREAL IS A HOT NEW TREND -AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR KIDS. IN THIS REPORT PROVIDED B THE AMERICAN DAIRY ASSOCIATION-MIDEAST, CLARK POWELL HAS MORE ON THIS FLAVORFUL FAD.
IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, THIS IS CLARK POWELL REPORTING.CLOSING:
SO FAR CEREAL RESTAURANTS HAVE OPENED IN NEW YORK, VIRGINIA AND TEXAS. AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GO GET A BOWL OF CEREAL FOR BREAKFAST! THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE THIS MORNING. WE'RE GLAD YOU TUNED IN.
FOR MIKE HOFFMAN, AND ALL OF AT AGDAY. I'M CLINTON GRIFFITHS. HAVE A GREAT DAY.PROMO:
I'M CLINTON GRIFFITHS. WEDNESDAY ON AGDAY USDA IS GEARING-UP TO RELEASE ITS FIRST BIG SERIES OF GRAIN REPORTS. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?
WE'LL HAVE SPOT-ON MARKET ANALYSIS. WATCH US WEEKDAYS ON AGDAY.